Dr. Michael Slipchuk celebrates 20 years in Amherstburg

Dr. Michael Slipchuk sits in his office reminiscing about the last 20 years.

“The last 20 years have gone by very quickly,” jokes Dr. Slipchuk.

The Amherstburg dentist is celebrating 20 years of operation, all of which have been in Amherstburg.

After completing a four-year Bachelor of Science degree, he was accepted into Dental School at the University of Alberta. Following four more years of school, Dr. Slipchuk graduated in 1988.

Shortly after graduation, he married his wife AnnMarie and moved to St. Paul, Alberta where he worked as an Associate Dentist for one year.

In 1989 they moved from Alberta to Ontario, where Dr. Slipchuk practiced as an Associate in the Sarnia area where the couple’s eldest son was born.

However, Dr. Slipchuk yearned for more.

“I wanted something more than being an associate,” he said. “I wanted to be an owner of a practice. That was my goal all the way through university.”

Surrounded by his staff, Dr. Michael Slipchuk celebrates 20 years of operation in Amherstburg.

Dr. Slipchuk found that opportunity when he purchased an Amherstburg practice from Dr. Paul Smith in 1992.

“We began on Sandwich St. where Acacia Hair Salon is,” he said. “It was a modest three operatory practice but I surrounded myself with dedicated and knowledgeable staff and my practice grew in the first 10 years.”

In 2001, Dr. Slipchuk had the opportunity to purchase and renovate his existing building at 201 Crownridge Blvd.

“It was a move that proved to be beneficial as the larger space provided more chairs and more square footage to accommodate the growing client base,” he said.

Along with his practice, his family also grew. Dr. Slipchuk and Ann Marie gave birth to four boys Michael, 20, Mathew, 19, Daniel, 18 and Marcus, 12.

Dr. Slipchuk said he has enjoyed quite a bit of success in the last 20 years and credits it all to his wife Ann Marie.

“She was the driving force behind all of this,” he said.

Dr. Slipchuk describes his loving wife as the backbone of their family unity and said the Amherstburg practice has thrived because of that strong family unity.

“She is my best friend,” he said.

Dr. Slipchuk also credits his staff.

“I consider myself very fortunate in many ways,” said Dr. Slipchuk. “We don’t have a high turnover of staff and I think this is key to delivering quality patient care. The majority of my dental team resides in the Amherstburg area.”

Over the past 20 Dr. Slipchuk has seen a lot of in the dental field. He admits that the dental materials have changed in a big way. He also feels the focus of prevention.

Sophisticated dental equipment along with the advent of computerization leans towards a greater trend for better diagnosis and recording keeping.

Being a dentist in a small town often means your day doesn’t end when you walk out of the office.

“I run into people all the time outside the office,” he said. “It’s that friendly atmosphere that gives you that cohesiveness that you want in a small town.”

So what does Dr. Slipchuk see in the next 20 year?

“I think a decrease in amount of decay,” he said. “People care about their teeth more often and come to the dentist more often. I think we will also see an increase in fixing teeth in terms of straightness. Everyone wants a perfect smile so I think there will be a greater influence on that part of it.”